Oil-seal gas separator



K. L. REYNOLDS.

OIL SEAL GAS SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26,1921.

Patente 0G15. 17, X922,

Patented @et 17, 1922.

entre@ sar/annee Y 'inserte Parana" enema.

KENYON L. REYNOLDS, 0F BRECKENRIDGE, TEXAS, ASSIGNORTO WALLACE AND l BROOKS, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

einsam. ons snrnna'roa.

Application led July 26, 1921. Serial No. 487,767.

T 0 all w hom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, KENYON L. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Breckenridge, in the county of Stephens and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Uil-Seal Gas Separator, of which the separator embodying a form of my inven.

following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of producing petroleum oil and is more particularly a separating device by meansv of which the gas which is intermingled with the oils as it cones from the well is separated from the o1 The principal objects of my invention are; first, to produce a separator of the class described of simple form and construction inl which the separation of the gas from the oil is made with a minimum amount of back pressure on the well, and second, the production of a device in which during the ordinary operation of the device a separation of the oil and gas may be made without the use of any mechanically operated devices Adepending for their operation upon oil levels, velocities, pressures orr vacuums.

Referring to the first object above mentioned, it will be understood thatin nearly all oil fields it is the primary desire of the operators to avoid back pressure yon their wells as in many instances a few pounds back pressure will frequently cause a well to stop producing.

The reason for, the second object is that in common forms of traps now used reliance is had solely upon some mechanically' operating device which iS operated or dependent upon the oil levels, velocity or pressures and any such device frequently gets out of order resulting in failure of the separator to function.

1n m separator, `I depend upon an oil sealwhich is formed when the trap is first filled with oil and which I'have found under general conditions all that is necessary in the production of a separator of great efficiency. However, in some instances an emergency float valve may be used on the gas outlet, but I do not consider that the use of such valve is essential to the operation of the separator under ordinary conditions, it being only, intended to take care of extraordinary conditions which may arise should (the character ofthe well change quickly,

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter from the following specification and drawings. l

'Referring tothe drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a Fig. 2 is a cross sectional plan View on line 2 2, 1, and

F ig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of my invention.

Ther separator shown in Figs. 1 and 2 consists of a vertically arranged cylindrical shell or. casing 11 which is made oil and gas tight, such casinfr having a head 12 and bottom plate 13. Trhe casing 11 is made in two parts, the upper part comprising an-oil and gas separating chamber and the'lower part 15 an oil collection chamber, such chambersl being separated from each other by an oil delivery spout 16, the flange 17 of which extends between the circular flanges 18 and 19 of the upper and lower parts respectively" Means yare provided for delivering oil and gas from a well or wells into the separating chamber 14 and consist of oil inlet p1pes 23, the inner ends of which extend downwardly,

as shown at 24. I he means for withdrawing A or removing gas from the separating chamber consists of a gas outlet pipe 26 which extends through a cover 30 on the upper end of a nipple 31, which nipple extends through and is welded to the head 12 of the shell. The lower end of the pipe 26 is closed, as indicated at 32, and such pipe at a point below the cover 30 is provided -with a series of openings 33 bv means of which the gases pass from the chamber 14 intothe outlet pipe, being carriedfrom suchoutlet plpe through a pipe 34 to any desired 'storage (not shown).

Slidably mounted upon the pipe 26 1s an open ended cylinder 4 slidably over the lowerend of such plpe and by covering the openings 33 regulate ythe kvolume of gas admitted to the pipe 26.

35 arranged to extend .end of ia`rod.37, the lower end'ofsuch lrod being connected to a cylindrical float '38 which is. vertically slidable in a guide ring l39 mounted on straps 40, the endsof which are secured to the side of the shell 11. The downward movement of such lioat is limited `by means of a strap 42, the ends of -which valve 56.

in operation the commingled 4oil and from the well is discharged into the separat-A =with a vertical stand pipe 53, the. lower end of such stand pipe being connected into a T 54C in the pipe 50 thereby also venting the pipe 50.l The pipe 53 alsolacts as an over low pipe as will be'readily understood.

v55 designates a `bleeder pipe at -the bot tom` of the oil" collection chamber 15, such pipe being provided with a hand operated Referring particularly to 1y and 2, gas

ing chamber 14- through the pipe 23,- the oil descending in such chamber intov the spout 16 and 1nto the oil discharge pipeor leg 21, li'rom-which pipe,it is dischar ed into` the oil collection )chamber 15. n the chamber 15 the oil rises to a level at' or ab ve the oil outlet pipe 50 so that the lower en of the leg 21 is submerged' in the body of oil inthe collection"chamber. v rl`he gas`,- as it separates from. the oill in lthe 'separating oil collection chamber 61, such oil collectionchamber, isA withdrawn through .the pipe 26. In' the form of my invention designated inlfig. 3, 1 utilize what may be termed a lower cylindrical casing which forms an chamber having an oil outlet pipe 62 and a bleeder'pipe 63, the latterbeing arranged vided with a valve 6d. 65 des'gnates an-uppercylindrical casing at the vbottom-of such chamber and proor-shell which has a le'g 66 extending to the f bottom of the shellv 60, such le being pro- `videdfwithafseries of oil disc arge openl ings 67 to which oil from the'. upper or separajin' chamber isv discharged into the o il collection chamber, the oil in such chamber' forming a seal, as the oil outlet pipe 62- o the collection chamber is abovethe openings 66 in the leg.`

With respect .to vth for of apparatus shown in Fig. 3, coingle oil and gas are delivered. from the well into the separating chamber'68 by means of the oil inlet'pipe 69, the "inner end of which is turned downwardlyas inca at 76. The chamber 68 @also Provided with o gas outlet pipe 71 Wiessee by means of which gas is Aremoved from the il i separating chamber jlist referred to.

I have stated above that it is desirable to have little or no pressure in the separator against the well and it willbe noted that the head of' oil in the separator limits the pressure placed on the well by the separator.

` be understood that by connecting any welll known form of exhauster (not shown). to the gas outlet pipe, that la partial vacuum I pay .be maintained in the separatin-gchamer. oil in the leg or oil discharge pipe of the separating chamber between -the oil outlet pipe of the collection chamber and the oil inletpipe of theseparating chamber. Under these `circumstances, it will be noted that the float operated device for partially closing the gas outlet will not function unless a vacuumv is maintained -in the separating chamber sufficient to cause the level of the oil in such chamber to rise high enough to operate such float, that is, move the float upwardly and cause the cylinderto move of device and permitting the operation of.

`such device without any ioat regulating mechanism for controlling the gas outlet. .In this form of separator, the vacuumV head is much greater than the .pressure head.. This is.done to permit the vacuum head to be greater than it will ever be required thus making the emergency ioat unlnecessary.

I claim as my invention:

vertically arranged cylindrical shell; an oil discharge 'spout dividing said shell into a separating chamber and an oil collection chamber ;A an oil discharge pipe`on said spout chamber; an oil and gas inlet pipe for s aid 'sepaating' chamber; va gas loutlet pipe for said separatingchamber; an oil 'outlet' pipe for saidlcollectiomchamber below the top of said chamber vand disposed to maintain a body of -oil in said collection chamber, and -a water outlet at the bottom ol'-v said collection chamber. l e

2. An oil and gas separator' comprising a -Cvertically arranged'cylindrical shell; van oil discharge spout dividing .said shell into a Aseparating chamber and an oil collection This vacuum is limited by the head of.

1. An'oil nd gas separator comprising a extending downwardly into Asaid collection Achamber gan. oil discharge pipe on said" ut extending downwardlyinto said collection.

Y chamber; oil .and s inletpipe tor said separating chbil; als outletpipe for' 35 .the volume ofgas 'discharged through the mageos l .said separating chamber; anoil outlet pipefor said collection chamber below the top` extending downwardly into said collectionv chamber; an voil and gas inlet pipe for said separating' chamber; a gas outlet pipe` for said separating cha'mber; an oiloutlet pipe for said collection chamber below the top of said chamber disposed to maintain a body of oil in said collection chamber; means in said separating chamber or'automatically regulating the volume of rgas discharged through the gasv outlet pipe, and .a water outlet at the bottom of -said chamber.

a. An oil and gas separator. comprislng a vertically arranged cylindrical shell; an oil discharge spout dividing said *shell into ai separating chamber and an oil collection chamber kan oil discharge pipe on said spout extending downwardly linto said collection I said separating chamber; an oil outlet pipe l chamber; an il and gas inlet pipe for said separating chamber; a gas outlet .pipe for for said collection chamber disposed to maintain a body ofoil insaid collection chafmber; and means for automatically regulating 'i gas outlet pipe; said regulating means con' ssting of a float mounted in said oil and. gas separatinghclamber; Vand means operated by said float arranged to cover openings in said gas outlet pipe.

5. An o il and gas separator comprising a .vertically arranged cylindrical shell;.an' oil discharge spout dividing said shell. into a separating chamber )and an oil collection chamber; an oil discharge pipe on said spout extending downwardly into. said collection chamber; a gas outlet pi e forysaid separatin chber; anfoilan gas inlet pipe for said separating chamber; an oil outletpip'e .Y for said collecti n chamber disposed tamain-A tain' a body of oil in said collection cham-1 ber; means for automatically regulating the volume of gas discharged through the gas` y my hand at Breckenridge; Texas, this 16th outlet pipe; saidregulating means consisting of a vertically ymovablel Heat mounted in y said oil and gas separating chamber; a rod on the upper end of said iioat; andan open ended cylinder slidably extending over the inner end of said gas outlet. pipe `arranged to cover openings in said outlet pipe.A

6. An oil and gasseparatorbomprlsing a4` cylindrical .shell consisting of a vlower casing. forming an oil vcollection chamber; an upper casing forming an oil and gas separating chamber; an oil and gas inletpipe for said separating chamber; a gas outlet pipe for sald separating chamber; an oil delivery pipe for said separating chamber extending. downwardly into .said oil`collection chamber; a. spout formed on theupper end of said o il delivery, pipe 'forming a division wall between said oil collectionchamber and said oil and gas separating chamber; an oil`outlet pipefor said collection chambep below'the top of said chamber arranged to maintain a body of oil in said. collection chamber, and. a Water outlet at the bottom of saidchamber.

7. An oil and gas separator comprisinga lower casing forming an oil collection chamber; an upper casing forming an oil and gas separatinglchamber; .an oil 'and gas' inlet pipe for said separating chamber ;`a gas outlet pipe for said separating chamber; an oil delivery pipe for said separating"l chamber extending downwardly into -said oil collection chamber; an oil outlet pipe fox-'said ,col-

lection chamber below the top of said cham! ber arranged to maintain a body of oil in. said collection chamberg -movable means mounted' in said separatingA chamber for .regulating the outowfofl gas through said' gas outlet pipe, and a water outlet at the. bottom of said chamber.

8. An oil and-gas separator comprising a casing forming an eily and gas-separating chamber and an oil collectionl cham'ber; an oil and gas inlet pipe for said separatingy chamben; a gas outlet pipe'or said separating. chamber fan oil outlet pipe forsaid collection chamber belpw the top of said chamber,fa' water outlet at the bottom .of the collection chamber; and'means for regulating the'flow loil' gas from said separating chamber thr'ough said gas outlet pipe. lconsisting 'of a vertically movable Heat and an open ended Cylinder'cOnneCted to vsaidoat me ranged to slidablyextend over the inner end of said' gasv outlet pipe said outlet pipe. l

,lin testimony whereofxll have hereuntoset to cover openings in day ofgluly, .1921. KENYN lL.RlEYN0lLDS.

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